Dover: Afghan refuge petition signatures rejected by council
- Published
A petition to Dover District Council asked it to commit to helping a set number of Afghan refugees
An online petition calling for a council to set a target for rehoming Afghan refugees has had most of its signatories rejected.
The petition collected 27,301 signatures and was submitted to Dover District Council in August.
However, the council said it could only accept signatures from Dover residents, meaning only 140 were acknowledged.
The council said it remained willing to accept any refugees through the government resettlement scheme.
Of the over 27,000 signatures, 1,141 were registered at a Kent address, 368 had a "CT" postcode, and only 140 were addresses in the Dover district, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The petition asked the council to "urgently set a solid target of the number of people you plan to help, sending a clear message to the Home Office of your commitment to support".
At a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee on Monday, councillors were expected to discuss the issue with petitioner Kay Marsh, but she did not attend.
Dorset District Council rejected all but 140 signatures due to them being non-Dover residents
In a statement Dover District Council said: "Like everyone, we've been shocked at the scenes in Afghanistan.
"Dover District Council stands ready to respond with permanent accommodation in the district for Afghan citizens. We have a track record of offering such support, including housing families from Syria.
"We have responded to the government's request for assistance from local authorities and await further guidance from them as the response moves from emergency repatriation to more permanent accommodation options.
"Our housing team will work with private landlords to organise suitable accommodation. The council will also work with community and voluntary partners to help with community integration and ongoing support."
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